Firelighters have traditionally included as the fuel a petroleum derivative, such as kerosene in white firelighters, and petroleum waxes in wood-based products. With an increasing awareness of environmental issues, there is a need to move away from petroleum derived products.
So-called ‘natural’ firelighters, in which the ingredients include naturally occurring materials not derived from fossil fuels, are known. However, the performance and shelf life of these firelighters to date has not been as good as desired, and they can be more expensive than petroleum based firelighters to produce.
The need remains, therefore, for a firelighter which is both natural and environmentally friendly, but which exhibits improved performance with excellent initial ignition and flame development, and has an improved shelf life.